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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rash — a series
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. scale — size or range
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. squash — the sport
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. squash — to crush
  12. rash — hasty
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. tube — the underground
  21. drill — army training
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. drill — the tool
  24. tube — a container

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com